The present disclosure relates generally to semiconductor devices.
With many electronic devices, it is desirable to provide a semiconductor wafer having a thin profile. Typically, thinning a wafer to achieve the desired thickness involves grinding the wafer. A tape is attached to the active area of the wafer to affix the wafer to chuck so that the opposite side of the wafer can be ground until the wafer's thickness is reduced to the desired dimension.
However, the active portion of the wafer having the electronic circuits or other devices formed thereon typically does not cover the entire surface of the wafer. Rather, the active portion covers only the central portion of the wafer, leaving an edge exclusion area about the periphery of the wafer. When the side of the wafer including the active area is affixed to the chuck and the grinder is applied to the opposite side of the wafer, the edge exclusion area is left unsupported.